Travel Essays · Chapter
Morality explained
The chapter reflects on the profound attraction of the forest, particularly Fontainebleau, as a place of spiritual renewal and escape from the complexities and moral burdens of civilized life.
What happens
The chapter reflects on the profound attraction of the forest, particularly Fontainebleau, as a place of spiritual renewal and escape from the complexities and moral burdens of civilized life. It contrasts the simplicity and freedom of forest existence with the 'dismal land of labour' and the 'grim contrariety of interests' in society, suggesting that in the woods one can shed sorrow, duty, and scruples to live a life of peace, health, and immediate sensation. The forest is portrayed as a 'great moral spa' that restores the weary spirit, though it also tempts one to forget human connection and moral feeling, offering a life of change and movement that may ultimately lead to isolation.
Themes in this chapter
Nature and the Sublime
The forest is depicted as a sublime, transformative space that offers peace, renewal, and a sense of timelessness, contrasting with the industrial world.
Freedom vs. Confinement
The forest represents liberation from societal constraints, duty, and moral scruples, allowing a life of free movement and escape from the 'brawling world'.
Mortality and the Passage of Time
The forest is a place where one might elude Death, the 'mighty hunter', and live beyond the normal span, yet the inevitability of time and death is ever-present.
Travel and Discovery
The chapter envisions a life of travel across Europe, from the Black Forest to Italy, as an extension of the forest's liberating spirit.
Characters to notice
- George Sand
Mentioned among the chorus of famous French writers who praised Fontainebleau.
- The English
Referenced indirectly through the mention of Horace and classical literary tradition.
Key passages
“It is the great moral spa; this forest without a fountain is itself the great fountain of Juventus.”
The forest serves as a spiritual health resort, a source of rejuvenation and youth for the weary soul.
Highlights the forest's restorative power over the spirit.
“All the puling sorrows, all the carking repentance, all this talk of duty that is no duty, in the great peace, in the pure daylight of these woods, fall away from you like a garment.”
In the tranquil, bright forest, all whining grief, burdensome regret, and false obligations slip away effortlessly.
Emphasizes the liberating effect of nature on emotional and moral burdens.
“You forget the grim contrariety of interests. You forget the narrow lane where all men jostle together in unchivalrous contention, and the kennel, deep and unclean, that gapes on either hand for the defeated.”
You lose awareness of the harsh conflicts of society, the crowded and unkind struggle for success, and the pitfall of failure that awaits the loser.
Contrasts the forest's peace with the brutal competition of civilized life.